Aerospace Diary

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  APRIL 5, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS April 5, 2013, 12:35 PM The  AgustaWestland deal in India for  AW 101 helicopters  that is being investigated after bribery allegations has prompted the Indian government to re-examine its already delayed defense procurement procedure 2013 ( DPP ). This is now focusing on “indigenization,” which defense minister  A.K.  Antony described recently as the “ultimate solution to the scourge of corruption.” In the interim, until the  DPP  2013 is released, amendments on revised offset guidelines will include preference for Indian suppliers for bids. The clause on application-based software for enterprise resource planning ( ERP ), for which Indian companies already have the skills, will be removed. To encourage system-based software development in civil and defense aerospace, high-end avionics, flight controls, flight control laws and Cat ...

BUSINESS NEW DELHI — Saab Group signed a letter of intent last week with Mahindra Satyam and will soon form a joint venture for civil aeronautics, special IT systems, network-centric warfare and command and control systems, CEO Håkan Buskhe tells AVIATION WEEK. Mahindra Satyam is a global business and information technology services company with expertise in supply chain management, engineering and product life-cycle management and infrastructure services. Mahindra Satyam and Saab had announced earlier they would jointly address the Battlefield Management System (BMS) for the Indian army. The solution for BMS, Saab says, is field-proven and deployed in many countries. Both partners intend to work together on the Indian BMS program and explore globalization of the co-developed product. “We’re not here [just] for the Medium Multi-Role Aircraft [MMRCA] order,” Buskhe says, referring to India’s ongoing program to buy 126 new fighter aircraft. The company also is looking at bidd...

Aerospace Daily Oct 27, 2010 TECHNOLOGY NEW DELHI — Information technology services company Mahindra Satyam is scouting for partners to round out its capabilities in battle management systems, network-centric warfare, data fusion and electronic warfare. “While India has seen an explosive growth in defense, the challenge is to access highly complex technology. We [in India] lack system integration applications for UAVs [and] precision strike weapons,” says Ramaseshan Satagopan, head of aerospace engineering at the company, which is part of the $7 billion Mahindra Group. “The key technology is sensors, which we do not have.” India lags by about a decade in sensor technology, especially for so-called smart weapons, the executive says, but the country knows it must ramp up its capability there. “Today, remote-controlled warfare is the key. For us, sensors, information and communication networks are [critical].” Mahindra also is pursuing an offset-oriented track for business, and ...

News AWIN First Jul 19 , 2010 Neelam Mathews With demand for small control systems creating a lucrative opportunity in India, business and information technology services company Mahindra Satyam is planning to design and manufacture low-cost simulators and landing gear. “We are starting with simulators for business aircraft, which can be expandable to larger ones later. However, simulator design is extremely complex and challenging. We are starting with the mechanical portion and integration -- not software as yet,” Ramaseshan Satagopan, head of aerospace engineering at Mahindra Satyam. This will present Mahindra Satyam with offset opportunities in defense as well, because large orders for medium, multi-role combat aircraft will require simulators and the capability to provide related training and technical manuals, says Ramaseshan. “With capabilities in design-related manufacturing, including machining and special processing, landing gear capability will be available in tw...